SCF Official Review: 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen

**Enigma** · 05-30-2014, 04:44 PM

First and foremost, I'd like to thank our sponsors at Topps for providing us with this box.

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24 packs per box
10 cards per pack
Current Retail Price (online): $109.99 - $124.99

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Base Cards (350)
- Base Cards (300 subjects): Veterans, rookies and retired players.
- Short-Printed Base Cards (50 subjects) 1:4. Unique players.
- Base Card Variations: Limited. Sharing a card number with one of the 350 base subjects.

Parallel Cards
- Framed Parallel (100 subjects): Blue-framed and sequentially numbered.
- Silver-Framed Parallel (100 subjects): Silver-framed and numbered 1/1. HOBBY ONLY
- Printing Plates (350 subjects): Printing plates of the base set. HOBBY ONLY

Mini Cards
- All cards will be 1 15/32" x 2 11/16"
- Base Cards (350 subjects): Original Gypsy Queen-sized versions of the base set. 1 per pack.
- Black Parallel (350 subjects): Sequentially numbered to 199.
- Sepia Parallel (350 subjects): Sequentially numbered to 50.
- Mini-Box Variations (100 subjects): Variations of 100 base card subjects. Cards will only be found in the mini-box! 10 per box HOBBY ONLY.
- Mini Printing Plates (450 subjects): Framed printing plates of the base minis and the mini-box variations. HOBBY ONLY.
- Mini Birth-Year Pennies (100 subjects): Relic card featuring a penny from the year the player was born. Numbered 1/1. NEW! MINI-BOX EXCLUSIVE.
- Wood Minis (350 subjects) Sequentially numbered to 5.
- Leather Minis (350 subjects) Numbered 1/1.
- Clear Minis (150 subjects) Numbered 1/1. NEW!
- Graphite Minis (150 subjects) Numbered 1/1. NEW!

Insert Cards
- N174 Gypsy Queen (15 subjects) NEW!
- Dealing Aces (20 subjects)
- Collisions at the Plate (10 subjects)
- Glove Stories (10 subjects)
- Debut All-Stars (15 subjects): Images of top players' debut MLB All-Star Game. NEW!
- Insert Card Printing Plates (70 subjects): Printing Plates of the above inserts. HOBBY ONLY

Relic Cards
Relic Cards Game-used bats and game-worn uniforms of over 50 veterans and retired stars. 1 per Hobby box.
- Black Jumbo Swatch Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 25.
- Gold Jumbo Swatch Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 10. NEW!
- Silver Jumbo Swatch Parallel: Numbered 1/1. NEW!

Mini Relic Cards Game-used bats and game-worn uniforms of over 50 veterans and retired stars. 1 per Hobby box.
- Black Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 10.
- Silver Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 5. NEW!

Mini Button Cards (30 subjects) A button from the player's jersey. Sequentially numbered to 3. Exclusive to MINI-BOX.

Dual Button Cards (20 cards) Button relics from 2 players' jerseys. Sequentially numbered to 3. NEW!

Original Art Patch Cards (50 subjects): Cards will be hand-painted, original Gypsy Queen-style portraits, featuring a game-worn patch. Numbered 1/1. HOBBY ONLY.

Bat Barrels (20 subjects) Featuring a game-used bat barrel relic. Numbered 1/1.

Hometown Flags (100 subjects): Featuring a commemorative flag patch from the state or country where the player was born. Sequentially numbered to 5. NEW!

Triple Button Cards NEW! (10 cards) Button relics from 3 players' jerseys. Numbered 1/1. NEW!

Autograph Cards
Autograph Cards On-card autographs of over 60 veterans, rookies and retired stars. 2 per Hobby box.
- Red Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 49. NEW!
- Gold Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 25. NEW!
- Green Parallel: Sequentially numbered to 10. NEW!
- Purple Parallel: Numbered 1/1. NEW!

Around the Horn Autograph Pop-Up Book cards (10 cards): Exciting new cards that feature imagery that emerges from a book card, with an autograph. Sequentially numbered to 25. NEW!

Autographed Minis (30 subjects) On-card mini autographs exclusive to the mini box. Sequentially numbered to 10. MINI-BOX ONLY.

Autograph Relic Cards
- Button Auto Relic Cards (10 subjects) Featuring a button and an autograph. Sequentially numbered to 3. HOBBY ONLY NEW!
- Autographed Relic Cards (20 subjects) Featuring a game-used relic and an autograph. Sequentially numbered to 25.
- Dual Autographed Relic Cards (15 subjects): Game-used relics and autographs from two players. Sequentially numbered to 10.
- Triple Autographed Relic Cards (10 subjects): Game-used relics and autographs from three players. Sequentially numbered to 5.
- Mini Auto Relic Books (15 subjects) Mini-book cards featuring a game-worn patch and an autograph. Sequentially numbered to 5. Exclusive to MINI-BOX.

WHAT WE PULLED

Mini Box Loader - 10 Mini Variations

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Base - 178/300 (59.3%)
Dupes - 3
SPs - 5/50 (10%)

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Minis (21)
Mini Black /199 (2) - Ethan Martin, Rod Carew
Mini Sepia /50 (1) - Jayson Werth

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Framed Blue /499 (2) - Nick Castellanos, Carlos Gomez

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N174 (6)
Dealing Aces (6)
Debut All-Stars (4)
Glove Stories (4)

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Pedro Alvarez Jersey

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Anthony Rizzo Mini Jersey

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Kevin Mitchell Autograph (on card)

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Jose Bautista/Wil Myers Dual Jersey Autograph /10

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Gypsy Queen returns for another year, though I still question the need for two throwback design products that are essentially the same (Allen & Ginter). But there seems to be a cult following, so I guess that is a driving force in its longevity. Gypsy Queen has a 350-card base set, with the last fifty as short prints (1:4 packs). There are also photo variations for some of the base cards. In addition, there are mini versions with numbered parallels of each card. Each hobby box contains a mini box loader. Most will contain ten mini variations, while some will have autographs or relics. The variations in the box loader are only available in this fashion. Base cards also have a blue framed parallel that is numbered as well as a harder to find silver version.

There are four insert sets in Gypsy Queen. N174 uses a sepia style design to showcase past and present stars of the game. Dealing Aces centers on pitchers while using the set symbols from a deck of cards in its layout. Debut All-Stars feature information on the subjects' first appearance in the Midsummer Classic. Finally, Glove Stories has been around since the beginning and highlight some of the great catches from around the league.

Each box contain two autographs and two relics. The relics will typically appear in the form of either a base jersey or bat and/or a mini card version that has been encapsulated. Look out for other items such as buttons, bat barrels and a new set, Hometown Flags, which features a manufactured flag patch of the home country or state (for USA players). Autographs range from individual to foursome (Around The Horn Booklets) with the multiple autos also contain relic swatches. Rounding out the fun are Original Art Patch Cards.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Base - 4/5
Design - 4/5
Fun - 3.5/5
Value - 4/5
Rebuy - 3.5/5

Overall - 19/25 (76%)

NPN INFORMATION

NPN 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen BB
PO Box 2220
Duryea, PA 18642

Limit 1 request per household

Postmarked By: 7/9/14
Received By: 7/16/14

Canada Skills: 6 x 6 + 6 - (-6) = ?

Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors at Topps for giving us the opportunity to open and review this release. For more information on all of their products, visit them today at www.topps.com.

Base and inserts are available for request. Please PM me with the card or cards of interest, including card numbers for base. Cards will remain available for 30 days from the times this review is posted. As always, only VIPs may make a request for the first 48 hours.